The Bodyguard
by OnlyFreakingSuperheroes
Summary: Mr. Hunt, Hi. I'm Richard Webber, Amelia Shepherd's manager and if I call you it's because we recommended me your name as one of the best of your profession... All the stories start with a few words. This one start with a simple message. This message left on an answering machine for a job offer. For, him, it was only a mission.
1. Prologue

**Hi ! This is my new story. English is not my first language so please be nice with me and tell me if I make mistake. This story is already write in french so if you understand french, you can go to see the story in my profile :) I hope you'll enjoyed this story !**

 **Prologue**

 _"Mr Hunt, Hi. I'm Richard Webber, Amelia Shepherd's manager and if I call you it's because we recommended me your name as one of the best of your profession…"_

All the stories start with a few words.

This one start with a simple message.

This message left on an answering machine for a job offer.

For him, it was only a mission.

It should never have become more.

But by agreeing to protect Amelia Shepherd, Owen Hunt, former special units agent, did not it would be so difficult to respect the three rules he had set himself to succeed in this mission.

Never take your eyes off her.

Always be on your guard.

Never fall in love.


	2. Just one more mission

**Author note: Hi ! Here is the first chapter, I hope you'll like it :) English is not my first language so I make mistake please tell me :) And I want to thank Whitehall for her sweet review, it was so nice**

 **Just one more mission...**

My steps resonate on the cobblestone.

The night begins to fall in Seattle and I hurry up as I enter the street indicated on the little piece of paper where I had scribbled the address of my appointment.

An unexpected, appointment.

An appointment that I should not even has started.

I still did not fully understand what had brought me to answer this message: I decided to take a break after my last contract… and to take the time to reacclimatize myself in Seattle.

And yet, I don't know why, I had recalled this mysterious Richard Webber.

Is it the sound of his voice almost shaking, letting me perceive a real concern?

Is it this need, stronger than me, stronger than anything, to always be in action?

I did not find the reason, but still, I ended up in Madison Park, on my way to this appointment to protect this mysterious singer, I had never heard talk of… my expatriation of several years in Europe, more precisely in France, had cut me of the American culture and its rising stars.

My eyes are on the number of the house facing me: n°862. A quick look at my piece of paper confirms me that I arrived at my destination. And the vision that greets me instantly makes me aware of one thing: it's not a beginner artist that I'm about to meet but it can only be one of the major stars of the American scene. I find myself in front of an imposing building with a staircase leading to a Greek-inspired stoop, framed by Doric columns. The house has a floor and many windows adorn the façade leaving guess a significant number of rooms… my eyes are scanning the building and I even notice on the left side a terrace that should give a beautiful view of Seattle from Madison Park. The falling evening light is immersed a mysterious and almost intimidating atmosphere around this address.

I walk the stairs one by one taking almost my time, before ending up in front of the solid wood entrance door. A look directed to the side makes me spot an intercom that I activate without waiting. I wait a few seconds before soon perceive a resonated breath through the device.

 _\- Yes?_

 _\- Good evening, Owen Hunt for Mrs. Shepherd._

 _\- Ok Mr. Hunt, I'm coming to open you._

I instantly recognize the voice that answers me: it's the same as the one on my phone. I put my hand on my tie to check that it is correctly placed between the two sides of my jacket against my shirt while perceiving steps closer to the door…

The doors opens in front of me in a squeak: I discovered a man in his fifties, wearing a pair of trousers and a shirt, with slightly graying temples with a smile clearly present on his face. He hands me a hand that I firmly tighten while advancing.

 _\- Good evening Mr. Hunt, You're welcome!_

 _\- Good evening._

I walk a few steps into the entrance before returning to the host who greets me.

 _\- I see that punctuality is one of your qualities._

 _\- It's part of the basics of the job…_

 _\- It's nice… It's a rare commodity in our circles. Thank you in any case for having accepted this meeting. If you would like to follow me…_

He walks past me and I take the opportunity to take a look around me: the decoration inside the house contrasts sharply with the external impression. A modern decoration, loft type in warm and lively colors… that let me anticipates a personality full of life and energy as to the hostess of these places. The manager enters the stairs and I'm following him silently. Arrived at the top of the steps, he walks into a room on the left, which seems to be an office, probably his office.

 _\- Please, sit down._

I sit on the chair in front of the desk as he sits behind it.

 _\- You have not struggled to find the address?_

 _\- No, rest assured, with a plan I know how to manage_ , I answer with a smile.

 _\- Yes of course, excuse me… I'm a little nervous, to be honest, calling you was not so easy for me… and I would have preferred not to have to do it…_

I feel hesitant in his first words.

 _\- I'm curious to know how you got my details…_

 _\- A very good French friend told me about you when I told him my concern about Amelia's protection… apparently in France, you are recognized as the best…_

 _\- You know, I don't believe in that kind of concept, let alone in trades like mine…_

 _\- The best, or one of the most talented as you want, anyway when he informed me that you decided to return to the United States, I saw it a sign… and I wanted to contact you in first… and with a few calls I could have access to your number._

 _\- I am touched by the trust that your grant me, know however that I am not yet sure to accept… I leave a difficult contract._

 _\- I understand, but we really need you… Amelia needs you… since a few weeks, we receive threats… and they are becoming more numerous and worrying…_

His gaze is lost in the void, I observe without words but I perceived a sincere concern behind his attitude… what I find quite surprising on the part of a manager, to believe that links stronger than business unite to his protected.

 _\- What kind of threats?_

 _\- It started with pictures of Amelia we were sent… to different places, moments… shots stolen sometimes from her everyday life as if someone was following her day-to-day… and then recently, these are not just pictures… they are letters with threats that materialize._

He gets up and goes to the side to a cabinet. He opens the doors of the cabinet that hides a small safe: he types the combination and I perceive a click, announcing the opening of the object. Then, he takes out a file that he gives me. I take it with fingertips, put it on the desk and gently open it. I then discover a series of letters, built from cut words from newspapers. I look at them before I linger on one of them that I keep a little longer in my hand.

 _\- This is the last one that has been transmitted… three days ago… the day I decided to call you._

The letter is succinct, only four lines, but it appeals to me…

"On your knees

I love you

You are ignoring me

But you'll get **SOON** "

The "soon" comes off in red on the letter… the message as well as the way in which the letter was made (with the care taken to use newspapers cut-off letters, without a trace of writing) make me aware that this is not a bad joke… but probably a real threat.

 _\- On your knees returns on several letters, that has a special meaning?_

 _\- It's an Amelia's title… one of her hit…what do you think?_

I put the letters down on the desk while closing the file.

 _\- I don't know… you talked to the police?_

 _\- No… I don't want it to be published in the press…_

 _\- I have trusted contacts in special services that could be helpful…_

 _\- So, you accept?_

 _\- I didn't say that… these letters, how did you receive them?_

 _\- They arrived at the usual fan mail circuit for the first ones…but the last one came here…_

 _\- Here? At his home?_

 _\- Yes…_

 _\- And how did Mrs. Shepherd react?_

He suddenly avoids my gaze, while standing upright on his side, in the office.

 _\- Mrs. Shepherd? How did she react?_

 _\- She didn't have to react… because she didn't see these letters…_

 _\- Excuse me?_

He sighs in front of me, while I don't feel I understand what he's trying to tell me.

 _\- All the mails that arrive at her record company or here go through me… and I intercepted them before she discovered them…_

 _\- You mean she's not aware of the pictures? Letters?_

 _\- Yes… I don't want her to be disturbed by all that… she had to be completely focused on her career and her performance…_

This information literally roots me on the spot and cuts short all my hesitations. I get up from my seat and extend my hand to the manager who welcomed me…

 _\- We'll not waste time… I don't have the habit of working in these conditions… I wish you a good continuation…_

I keep my hand extended to him a few seconds but not seeing him react, I decide not to stay longer and turn to leave the room.

 _\- Mr. Hunt, wait!_

I hear him behind me, but I'm continuing a few steps.

 _\- Please…_

A shaking voice echoes in the room… and I stop and then turn back again.

 _\- Please…. I know I may not have had the best idea hiding this information… but I'm afraid that she'll be devastated…. And I don't want a madman spoiling her career, she deserves everything that happens to her, she has worked hard to be there… and no one has the right to take away from her…_

 _\- Listen, I've always had to work for people who are aware of everything that are going around them and especially the threats that affect them… I don't like to have imposed myself… or to justify my presence…_

 _\- You will not have to do it… she will accept your presence… I explained to her that she needed close protection with her status… she will not reconsider your work or you utility…_

 _\- I don't know… I'm not very comfortable with this context…these secrets…_

 _\- Do not be mistaken…It's up to me to assume that and accept the consequences… but before you decide, please allow me to introduce you to Amelia… please…_

I remain undecided a few moments, still disturbed by the situation that has just been described…but this man facing me who almost begs me touches me more than he should. I was used to not react in my job, to remain impassive, but his look makes me almost forget my good old automatisms.

 _\- Ok, but if I decide not to pursue, I will ask you to respect my decision and not to insist._

He nods and precedes me while beckoning me to follow him.

He enters a long corridor and I notice that we pass in front of several rooms… then suddenly; I perceive notes and a voice… a sweet and melodious voice…. It differs a little more with surprise that chills run through me as this voice rises a little higher in the high-pitched.

The manager stops a few moments in front of a door that he slightly opens and in which he slowly enters. I follow him and discover a room dedicated to music: a piano at the back, a drums on the side, various guitars on their support and two microphones positioned on their tripod in the middle of the room surrounded by speakers… the walls are adorned with what I guess are pockets of hits, even albums and various awards… and my eyes end up sitting on a silhouette sitting back on a chair, placed on the side of the room.

A guitar put on her lap.

A hair brought to one side that lets me guess the top of a bare back.

And this melody that escapes from this person.

 _\- Amelia… I have someone to introduce you._

The voice of Webber, her managers, stops me in the observation that I had unconsciously undertaken. The music stops. The guitar is placed on the ground and I soon see this silhouette get up and turn to us.

A tiny woman then faces me: dressed in a strapless blue summer dress, she advances gracefully towards us. Her hair is return on both sides oh her shoulders, framing a thin face, with delicate features, illuminated by a bright and almost laughing look that studies me. No unnecessary artifice on this face and yet a natural beauty emerges and strikes me… accustomed to rub shoulders with French personalities for several years, the simple and pure charm of this young woman upsets me spontaneously… as a pleasant wave of freshness after too long immersed in a world based on the false and the too much.

I feel almost intimidated by this young woman… which isn't my usual. But I don't let anything show; I was master in the art of hiding and dissimulating my emotions.

 _\- Amelia, I present to you Owen Hunt… you know, I told you about him…_

 _\- Yes, I remember it Richard. Mr. Hunt, nice to meet you… Amelia Shepherd._

A small hand then stretches towards me and I sneak it while continuing to watch the young woman face me…

She smiles at me briefly and I feel the uncomfortable feeling of being stared from head to toes… and I cannot wait to see that she details me carefully.

 _\- Something that bothers you, Mrs. Shepherd?_

 _\- I'm surprised… when Richard told me about a bodyguard, I imagined… say a man a little more imposing…_

 _\- If you want the rugby model, I'm sure your manager can find someone else…_

 _\- Don't get me wrong… I said I was surprised, not that I was disappointed…_

She stares at me and I hold her gaze where I perceive almost a touch of challenge and mischief. We observe for a few moments that she concludes with a slight smile.

 _\- I'm flattered in any case… to enjoy the services of the best bodyguard of the moment…_

\- I look down, not wishing to express again my point of view on this reputation that sticks to my skin, despite myself…

 _\- I don't know what takes Richard to suddenly demand that I be protected…but if my manager deems it useful, I'm blindfolded, it is thanks to him everything that happens to me… so if he considers that I need you, I trust him…_

 _\- Are you ready to cooperate?_

 _\- Yes, of course… as long as you don't stop me from living and working on my music… we should get along no?_

She asks me this question with a smile… with a spark in her eyes again… which intrigues me more than it should…

 _\- Yes, it should be possible…_

 _\- Good, I am glad… I'll let you finish all the details with Richard. See you soon!_

 _\- Good night, Mrs. Shepherd._

She smiles to me one last time then redirects herself to her guitar and leans against her chair, almost forgetting us.

Richard Webber, who watched the scene without intervening, beckoned me to leave the room. Once again in the hallway, he walks a few steps, before turning to me.

 _\- Thank you for accepting… despite your reluctance._

 _\- I hope I don't regret it… I will send you my salary conditions._

 _\- Your price will be ours; it's not a problem…_

 _\- Good, because I don't commit myself to any price. And it will also be necessary to agree on my way of working and the device to put in place to adapt to the latest threats that you have received._

 _\- No problem._

 _\- Good._

He smiles at me for a moment before starting again.

 _\- Thank, you, Mr. Hunt. You relieve me of a real weight… I know she will be in good hands with you and I wish more than anything in the world that nothing bad happens to her._

I move a few steps, already committing myself on the stairs to leave the house. I turn one last time though before taking leave.

 _\- You will thank me later… when my presence here is no longer necessary and Mrs. Shepherd will no longer have to fear the actions of anyone._


	3. Like an evidence

**Hello, I hope you're all doing great. Here is the chapter two of my story Bodyguard. By the way, I'm sorry it took so long for me to translate this story into English… and I'm sorry by advance for the mistakes… English isn't my first language and I do my best.**

* * *

 **Like an evidence**

I had always had the postcard image of Madison Park: Washington Lake and his beautiful view… but I had never suspected that this neighborhood also incorporated pretty shady alleys, dotted with beautiful homes almost out of another century. Amelia Shepherd had visibly searched her pied-à-Terre for finding such a beautiful house, in a quiet corner, almost inhabited by a soul « village ».

I came back to the edge of the house of the singer after walking a tracking of surroundings to memorize the smallest details of the environment that would become my day for some time.  
One thing was flagrant however the neighborhood was not at first a source of concern or threat.

I walk the stairs before announcing myself as during my first visit.  
\- _Owen Hunt_.  
\- _Good Morning Mister Hunt, I open you…_  
It's Richard Webber again who welcomes me through the intercom, then who opens the door, the smile on his face. He shakes my hand while pressing me inside.  
- _How are you?  
\- Very well and yourself?  
\- Much better since your presence will be frequent here.  
\- I wanted to talk to you about the condition of my presence._  
I hear a rustle on the floor.  
My senses sharpened by so many years of work make me instantly raise my head and then I see her against the banister of the stairs watching us.  
Her gaze directly finds mine and she moves on the stairs, running down the stairs quickly.  
Unlike our first meeting, her hair is raised in a bun: she's dressed in jeans and a sailor sweater and travels the last meters separating us and I notice she is barefoot… and she looks much smaller than the first time.  
\- _Good morning Miss Shepherd.  
\- Good morning, Owen… can I call you Owen? she asks me smiling.  
\- As you want.  
\- So it will be Owen and please, call me Amelia, I have a lot of trouble with the « miss ».  
\- Great._  
Her manager at my side shifts slightly.  
 _\- Amelia, Owen came to detail the condition of his contract, you may have better things to do…  
\- In fact, I would prefer Miss Shepherd… Amelia to be present…  
\- No problem, if it's useful for me to be there…_  
Richard observes me again and finally speaks again, but I perceive a certain embarrassment on his side.  
\- _All right, so let's get in my office._  
He leaves before us and Amelia remains a few seconds to watch me.  
- _After you…_  
She smiles at me and ends up following her manager down the stairs.

I follow suit and enter the office I had already discovered during the first meeting.  
Richard is sitting behind his desk when I sit in the room while Amelia landed on the dest next to me, feet swaying in the air.  
I remain standing for my part, in the middle of the room.  
\- _Did you receive details of my salary proposal?  
\- Yes, and like I told you, it's not just a point of conflict… By the way, we have prepared a contract that we will ask you to sign… especially on the confidentiality of all the information that you will be led to discover about the projects and the life of Amelia…  
\- No problem… beyond these administrative elements, I will have several conditions to honor my mission.  
\- You do not want to sit down.  
\- No, thank you…  
\- So we listen to you on these conditions…_  
She shifts to put on the front of the desk and no longer on the side to face me completely.  
\- _First thing… you will have to make some changes to your house… I would like you to install a videophone and not a simple intercom and that each person who visits you is the subject of a prior appointment… Second thing, it will be necessary that all your windows are equipped with blinds and a « blurring » film which does not allow to observe anything of the outside…  
\- Ok… we will make the necessary adjustments…  
\- I'm not finished… Do you have a licensed driver?  
\- No, Amelia travels by taxi or with drivers punctually for certain events that are engaged in various companies._  
\- _We'll have to change that…I want Amelia to hire a full-time driver and be her only middleman… a person that I will recommend to you, someone with whom I can work with full confidence… does it seem possible to you?_  
Amelia turns to Richard who is the one who finally speaks to answer me.  
\- _Yes, we will be able to organize this… give me the name of your contact and we will engage him according to your modalities…  
\- Great… last thing… to protect Amelia… I must be the maximum of time nearby, ready to intervene at the slightest threat… constantly present to her… I have to stay here…  
\- Excuse me?_  
Amelia looks at me suddenly with big eyes, while resting her feet on the ground and leaving the office where she was sitting.  
\- _I need room to settle down…_  
She turns to Richard and addresses him, almost forgetting me in the room.  
\- _Richard… you told me about a bodyguard but not a roommate or a babysitter…  
\- Amelia…  
\- I understand that I need someone when I'm in representation or outside… but here in my house? Listen, Owen, I want to accept all your conditions, but this one seems to be completely disproportionate…  
\- Amelia, my conditions are not negotiable, it is to take or leave… if you have a problem, I will have to decline your job proposal…  
\- And well, in this case…  
\- Amelia…_  
Her manager suddenly takes the floor in a tone that surprises me, a tone that I had not heard from him yet.  
\- _Richard, I don't see why…  
\- Owen, do you want to wait for us downstairs, please?_  
I nod and leave the room without waiting, anticipating that an explanation will take place between the manager and his protected.  
I find the entrance to the house, taking a few steps back and forth.  
I approach the living room on the side and scrutinize the room a little closer.  
A fireplace dominates the middle of the room with an imposing corner sofa, all in blue/green, white and black tones that give a pleasant cozy impression.  
My eyes are attracted by a picture frame the size of a painting, hanging on the Wall, just above the fireplace… a photo where I think I'm guessing Amelia with Richard… Amelia with a microphone in his hand all smiles, watching her manager at her side.  
A picture almost family-like…

I suddenly hear steps coming closer as I realize that I don't know how long I took to observe this room and this picture…  
- _Owen?_  
I turn around again to the stairs to recognize Richard in front of me.  
\- _It's understood that you have a room for you here… You had other requests?_  
This positive return, so fast, surprises me almost after the reaction that had had Amelia… to believe that Richard found the right words to convince her or that he has a flawless influence on the singer.  
\- _No, I told you everything.  
\- Great, in this case, I will organize everything to make the changes that you have requested. Regarding the driver, are you coming back to me?  
\- Yes, I will need a few days to consult some of my contacts and I will send you the information as soon as possible.  
\- Ok, I'll have to leave you… I let you see with Amelia for the practical details regarding your installation…  
\- You believe that…  
\- Goodbye…_  
He disappears in a breath without I had time to tell him of my embarrassment to have to address this topic directly with Amelia… after her reaction disapproving my request.

The front doors slams while Richard just left the house and I find myself alone in the entrance… I was clearly destabilized by the beginning of this mission: I never had to live that kind of reaction from someone I had to protect.  
Usually, they have always spontaneously understood the merits of my presence, including their intimacy… this context where Amelia is not fully aware of the threats weighing on her was more difficult to manage than I could have anticipated. And the discussion that was waiting for me in the next few minutes really disturbed me.  
I enter the stairs and enter Richard's office, left open.  
But it's an empty room that welcomes me. If she had decided to play hide-and-seek, I would soon lose my temper.  
I go back to the corridor and I remain motionless for a few seconds, realizing that I did not know the house at all…  
I hear some notes… piano notes…  
I let my hearing guide me and my steps lead me to the room where I met Amelia. I don't hear the sound of her voice but just a melody.  
A melody that seems familiar to me but I can't seem to associate the title or the interpreter.  
The door is slightly ajar and I enter the room. I discover her eyes closed, fingers running on the keys of the piano, obviously inhabited by the music she plays. She plays a few chords then her fingers remain suspended above the piano, while she finally opens her eyes and finds my eyes directly… while carrying a hand to her chest.  
\- _Owen! You scared me…  
\- Excuse me, I didn't want to startle you.  
\- It's nothing, I was just surprised to see you, I didn't hear you arrive…_  
She smiles as she gets up and shyly approaches me.  
\- _Regarding my last request, I don't want to force your hand and impose…_  
She lowers her eyes for a few seconds then pulls them up to me.  
\- _Richard told me it was necessary… that I need you here…It's just that I always thought I was protected in my house…I didn't really consider that your protection would be full time…  
\- It's partly my fault, I was probably not clear from the start, on what I envisioned.  
\- It's just that… well, Richard's reaction surprises me… He insisted that we apply all the measure you deem useful, including this one… and I have the unpleasant sensation that he doesn't tell me everything…_  
I remain silent watching her, uncomfortable to be aware of the danger that lurks around her and that leads me to demand a presence here, in what she considers her refuge.  
\- _Listen, if you need time to think, I totally understand… you can give me your decision later.  
\- No, it's not necessary… Richard wants you…  
\- And you never question his opinion?_  
She does not answer my question as she walks into the room and gets ahead of me.  
\- _You will know how to be discreet, right?  
\- You will even forget that I'm here.  
\- I doubt…_  
She walks in the doorway, walks down the hall and ends up looking back to me.  
\- _You come?_  
I remain surprised by her question.  
\- _Well, maybe you need to discover the house, right?_  
I'm following her penetrating a few steps in the hallway.  
She beckoned me in the direction of the room we just left.  
\- _This room is my little cocoon for writing, composition… I like not to be disturbed when I take refuge._  
I notice that this room is located at the very end of the corridors as to mark the fact that it is a private and reserved territory.  
Amelia continues in the hallway and announces the rooms that we fellow.  
\- _Here is a first friend's room…  
…Then my office…  
Richard's office_  
We arrive at the junction of the stairs but she continues to a part of the house that I haven't explored yet.  
\- _Here is a bathroom for guest._  
She walks a few steps and this time takes the trouble to open the door and make me discover a room.  
\- _Here is another room… and if you agree, it will be your room…_  
I study the room a bit more: an office, a typical Japanese bed, a dressing room, and a neutral and modern decoration.  
\- _There is the necessary for you to settle down if you missed something…  
\- It's perfect…  
\- The bed is futon type, so hard enough, if it was not suitable, we can…  
\- It will be ok Amelia, I slept in much more rudimentary conditions in my life… it's very good…  
\- Okay… you can use the bathroom that I indicated right next to you. And the room you see a few steps in the recess of the house is my room… so if you wanted to kidnap me in the middle of the night, you should hear him before he comes to kidnap me…_  
I smile slightly while hoping that this scenario doesn't materialize.  
\- _Ok, do you want a quick tour of the ground floor?_  
I nod while I follow her down the stair to find the entrance.  
First, she goes right up the stairs leading us into a vast American kitchen.  
\- _The kitchen…I like to Cook from time to time, it's an important room for me…you will have to tell me if you have food preferences.  
\- Don't bother with that, I will eat like you… I can't be a source of complexity in your everyday life_…  
She nods, retraces our steps, to advance in the living room that I had begun to study for a few minutes before.  
\- _And the living room… the living room where I like to read books, watch a movie or receive friends…_  
Here, you have seen everything… I forgot to show you the terrace which is accessible from my music room… otherwise there you go for the owner's tour.  
\- _Ok, thanks… you have a very pretty house anyway.  
\- Thanks…  
\- And I repeat myself, my presence must not change your habits, I must be there, without being there…you are at home, I'm not a guest but someone who is there to ensure your safety …okay?  
\- Yes, I just have to get used to the idea… I don't have the habit of having a man at home… apart from Richard, I mean… in my job, human relations are delicate and difficult…  
\- If I do my job well, my presence will be natural and you will not worry anymore…_  
I still feel indecisive and hesitant about what I ask… but the threats that intensify around it require this device… her address is known to the one who had a morbid obsession, unlike her, I didn't believe that this house was still a refuge.  
\- _Do you have no commitments on the rest of the day?  
\- No, I'm going to work here.  
\- Ok, I'm going to get my things back and I'm settling in tonight if you agree.  
\- Uh…yes…yes, of course… you need Richard to help you?  
\- No, it's not useful…_  
She sways from one foot to the other while biting her lip and I'm convinced that she wants to ask me something but she does not dare.  
\- _Amelia, you're okay?_  
She observes me a few moments then ends up speaking.  
\- _Yes, I just have a question… a little silly maybe…but how long are you going to stay here? I mean, we're talking about two weeks, a month? What will make your presence no longer necessary? The day I finish my career?_  
She asks the last question in a nervous laugh… her remark takes me by surprise because I can't clearly explain to her what my mission is and how long it will last…  
- _I don't know… but the moment when you will not need me anymore will sound like an evidence…_  
She looks at me for a moment before murmuring three words while continuing to fix me.  
\- _Like an evidence…_


	4. Meetings

**Hello, I hope you're all doing great. Here is the chapter three of my story Bodyguard. I'm sorry by advance for the mistakes… English isn't my first language and I do my best. I hope you will enjoy this chapter :)**

* * *

 **Meetings**

 _\- Richard, did you call back Maggie to clarify the practical questions about the room?_  
Amelia's eyebrows crease listening to Richard's answer through the phone as I watch her through the inside rearview mirror of the taxi. Sitting, in front, in the passenger seat, I had the opportunity to monitor the surroundings on our way while keeping an eye on Amelia.  
\- _I know Richard, but they're waiting for me, you know for this concert…  
Ok, I'll let you do it, I count on you…  
See you later._  
I see her end the conversation and put her phone in the pocket of her leather jacket. But despite the last words she had addressed to his manager, her anxious look had not left her face.  
\- _We arrived_ , suddenly declare the driver to my left.  
I realize indeed that we are a tour destination… surprised at not being attentive enough to the journey we had traveled, visibly too focused on the singer.  
I take out a few bills from my jacket and give them to the driver with a slight smile.  
I then turn to Amelia, noting that she has placed her sunglasses on her face and she already has her guitar in her hand, ready to go out.  
\- _Wait for me to open…_  
I leave the car, scan the surroundings for a few seconds and finally open the door to Amelia. She gives me a smile before finally getting out the vehicle after a polite « Thanks Sir » addressed to the taxi driver.  
She stands on the side in front of me, installs her guitar on her back and walks towards the building.  
I walk on the side with her, a hand propped against the guitar behind her back, to walk the few meters separating us from the entrance.  
I open the door and let her slip inside, as she instantly removes her sunglasses and enters with a secure step in this place that I discovered myself, for the first time.  
Realizing also that it was a first in the absolute for me because I had never set foot in a recording studio… the people I had protected in the past could have been part of the artistic environment but not in the music world.

I follow Amelia inside the corridors of the building, noting that this place is a familiar place for her given the ease with which she finds herself… as we walk along several rooms and mysterious doors for me.  
She suddenly stops in front of a door on which I furtively read « Abbey Road room », then turns the handle without hesitation and rushes into the room.  
\- _Hello, beauty!_  
I go right behind Amelia and find a man getting up from the couch on the side of the room while another man in the front of the mixer turns on his chair to face us.  
The man on the couch walks up to Amelia and gives him two long kisses then looks at me suspiciously, staring at me from head to toe.  
\- _Hi Andrew… Hello, Cross,_ Ameliaanswers in front of me.  
The man at Amelia's side still stares at me and I hold his gaze.  
\- _Andrew… stop your bad manners if you want…_  
\- _Can I know who this penguin is?_  
My eyes harden in a few seconds after this remark… This man allowed himself to make a remark on my appearance (black suit on white shirt) while he tackled a rather neglected look with a striped sweater and jeans visibly too big.  
\- _Andrew… you can relax for two minutes… I present you Owen Hunt and I will ask you to lower a tone because it will be by my side from now on… Owen, here is Andrew, my guitarist._  
\- _Nice to meet you_ , I reply, reaching out this famous Andrew.  
\- _By your side?_  
He looks at my hand without reacting.  
\- _I'm in charge of Amelia's safety, nice to meet you…_  
I repeat my polite formul, a little more leaning while pointing to my hand again. He looks at my hand and finally accepts him and I shake his hand a little more firmly than I usually do.  
\- _And since when do you need someone to protect you?_ He asks in an almost condescending tone.  
\- _It's an idea of Richard, Andrew…_  
\- _And it's Richard who chooses him? Because I do not see how this guy will be able to protect you._  
I sigh slightly before speaking again.  
\- _With a past of special units officer, mastery of five martial arts, probably better than you._  
Amelia laughs lightly by our side while putting a hand on the arm of her guitarist.  
\- _Andrew, you can stop your little game… we're here to work._  
\- _Ha, finally sensible words, thank you, Amelia!_  
We turn to the voice that has just risen in the room, realizing again that a fourth person was present.  
\- _Cross, I see you're in shape… it's nice because we have a lot of work… I would like that we can finalize a first acoustic version of "On your knees"… Andrew, you settle? I'll meet you._  
The last look of this Andrew in my direction then it ends up passing on the order side of the room: in the studio part where a standing microphone was installed as well a guitar on this stand…  
\- _Cross, I want something sweet for this version, I'm counting on you to do wonders…_  
Amelia gives a kiss to the sound engineer, removes her jacket and joins her guitarist in the airlock.  
I move a few steps towards the mixer while Cross operates different buttons in front of him.  
I observe Amelia through the window: she blows a few words to Andrew then settles in front of the microphone and gets the headphones.  
\- _You work recently for Amelia, am I wrong?_  
It takes me a few seconds to understand that the sound engineer is talking to me while he remains fixed to his control panel.  
\- _Yes, it's very recent…_  
- _I hope you're good… I don't want anything to happen to this little woman… artist, simple and sincere like her, are so rare… and I know what I'm talking about, seeing that everyone I see here._  
I look at him in the corner, surprised bu this warming that he launches me.  
\- _Ok Cross, we're going to go… you focus on Andrew and the melody, it will allow me to make the first pass and stall my voice, okay?_  
Cross raised his thumb to Amelia and the first notes of a sweet melody resound in the room.  
And then after a few minutes, an angel voice joins these notes of guitars… and I remain captivated by realizing that this beautiful voice, which gives me instantly goosebumps is that of Amelia.  
I had already heard her humming but it has nothing to do with the effect of her voice at full strength, so she puts all her heart and her application for recording.  
I watch her sing her song, her eyes close, her hands propped up against the helmet while noticing the attentive and admiring look of her guitarist by his side.  
A look where I detect a particular spark, a spark that intrigues me.  
\- _We resume, please… it's not okay…_  
I realize that the song had just ended and it's Amelia's remark that suddenly makes me aware.  
\- _Andrew, you must be less jerky in the binding of chords, it did not flow enough for my taste on what you just did… Cross, for the voice, what do you think? I may have to go more gradually to the « without you », right?_  
\- _It was already very pretty Amelia, but actually, you can rise little by little on this part, and maybe try to finish just on whispers to mark the end of the song…_  
\- _Okay, really great idea, let's go back!_  
Amelia in work mode, it was an experience to live in its own right: it was quite impressive to see her at work, to direct every detail, to take back every element that did not seem perfect…  
She knew what she wanted and she led things in a safe way or even a bit authoritarian.  
This is how it is chained three hours hard work… for a simple piece.  
A discovery for me, to do all the work behind a song.

At the end of three hours, Amelia leaves her helmet, abandons the microphone and joins us, Cross and myself while Andrew arranges his guitar.  
\- _You pass me the version on CD Cross, I'd like to listen to it at home._  
\- _No problem, my beautiful, it's ready, I suspected you were going to ask me that,_ resumes Cross tending a CD to Amelia who hastens to slip into her bag.  
She puts on her leather jacket as Andrew returns to the room, his guitar in his hand.  
- _Are you leaving Amelia right away? You don't want us to take a little time to review some songs?_  
I watch her guitarist and I feel an insistence that doesn't seem to relate only to melodies to resume… as if he wanted to spend more time with her interpreter…  
\- _Andrew, I booked a taxi that must wait for us with Owen and I have to go home… we meet again for rehearsals anyway… Thank you for everything to both!_  
Amelia greets her two accomplices and I open the door to leave the recording room.  
She passes before me in a breath, with her attitude always determined in her approach.  
- _Are you sure you want to go right away? We can leave later if necessary…_  
\- _No, we've already worked a good three hours… beyond that, I know that Andrew picks up quickly and that it's often useless…_  
Her remark intrigues me while her guitarist tried to propose her to continue the work session, but the singer seems apparently perfectly lucid about the abilities of her musician.  
She arrives at the entrance of the studio and I press the pace to pass her in front of.  
\- _Wait… let me go before._  
She stops without comment and I open the door, staying on the side, protecting her in part, keeping a hand against the guitar propped on her back.  
I directly see the taxi parked a few meters and directs Amelia towards the vehicle by pressing it with my left arm. Arrived in front of the car, I opened the door, letting her settle inside before sitting down for me in the passenger seat and giving Amelia's address to the driver.  
The journey goes silently.  
Amelia observes the landscape through the window, an almost lost look on her face.  
I dare not break the silence, feel pensive and I remain focused on our journey to Madison Park.

In a little less than twenty minutes, I recognize the surroundings of Amelia's house, despite the daylight gradually weakening.  
The driver drops us a few meters from the house, I thank him, noting that Amelia has her eyes closed, her head turned against her seat.  
I get out of the car and open the back door.  
I catch the guitar at the foot of Amelia and my gesture brings her back to her mind as she suddenly opens her eyes.  
\- _We have arrived…_  
She smiles at me shyly then leaves the car by tightening her jacket.  
She then extends her hand to me as if to claim her favorite instrument.  
\- _You look tired, I'm taking it to you._  
\- _Thanks…_  
She reaches the front steps of her house and opens her front door after taking a few seconds to get her hands on her keys.  
As she gets ready to open the door, I hold her hand and drag her behind me.  
\- _I enter the first…_  
\- _It's a new rule?_  
\- _You'll have to get used to it…_  
I go back a few steps in the entrance… remain attentive for several seconds at the least suspicious noise that I can identify and I finally turn to Amelia who was waiting quietly on the front steps of the house.  
- _You can come in…_  
\- _You know, I'm still at home here I don't really see what all these ways mean…_  
\- _We are never too careful… and I take my work to heart…_  
She hangs her jacket on the coat rack of her entrance and goes into the kitchen.  
I put down his guitar in the living room and climbed into the room reserved for me to leave my jacket. I also undo my tie and the first two buttons of my shirt to be more comfortable and join the kitchen.  
I discover Amelia face a glass of water, a tube of an effervescent tablet in hand: it deposits a pill that dissolves quickly in contact with water.  
\- _Are you okay?_  
She raises her head, apparently surprised to see me in front of her.  
\- _Yeah, I just have a bad headache that has been installed since we left the studio._  
\- _You should rest, you have not stopped the day._  
- _It would be a great idea, but I'm afraid this plan is difficult to follow._  
She engulfed a sip of the mixture that formed in the glass when suddenly, the ringing of her entry door sounded.  
\- _Impossible to follow…_ she resumes.  
\- _Are you waiting for someone?_  
I go to the videophone in the entrance to discover the person who is announced: a young redhead with a large smile on his face.  
I turn to Amelia who joined me.  
\- _Do you know her?_  
\- _Yes… it was completely out of my head but her text reminded me to order… it's my best friend…_  
\- _It's her, are you sure?_  
She looks at me and ends up smiling.  
\- _Yes Owen, I'm sure…I'll be able to recognize her even without seeing her, just by rinding the bell._  
She walks toward the door and ends up opening it to actually reveal the young woman I had just discovered on the videophone screen, a purse and a suitcase completing the image.  
- _Hello sweetie!_  
The young redhead jumps Amelia's neck and my ears are slightly tense to listen to the volume of these few words.  
I recognize this young woman realizing that I had already seen on photos in the house. One thing had intrigued me in the house of Amelia, it was the little photo dressing this place: maybe five in all out of the scene photos… and only three people were there: a man I had not met yet but who looked suspiciously like Amelia, Richard Webber, and this young woman.  
\- _Hi April… slowly, you're going to choke me_ , Amelia answers weakly in the arms of her friend.  
\- _Sorry sweetie, but I'm so glad to see you… it's been a while since I'm waiting for this day… and I…_  
The eyes of the young woman cross mine and she suddenly loses the use of speech… which is quite destabilizing given the speed she had just demonstrated in a few seconds.  
She stands out slightly from her friend and then observes me, looking at me from head to toe… with an amused, even intrigued look.  
\- _I did well to come to tell me… you forgot to tell me something, it looks like?_  
\- _April…_  
The young woman walks towards me.  
\- _Even more hot close-up… what a nice surprise to see that my best friend has finally ended this curses single life and a very nice way and more!_  
- _In fact…_  
\- _Where did you meet? Are you a musician? Artist? Your face doesn't tell me anything… and between us, a face like yours, I'll remember_  
\- _April, you allow me to explain to you two minutes!_  
I feel almost embarrassed by the misunderstanding of Amelia's friend… and uncomfortable listening to these remarks.  
\- _You don't explain anything to me, sweetie. I would have done like you if I had seen his first, and I don't blame you for not having told me!_  
\- _April!_ Amelia resumes a little louder.  
Her friend is watching me.  
\- _April?_  
\- _Yes?_ finally responds to the young woman turning to Amelia.  
- _I present to you, Owen Hunt… my bodyguard…_  
- _That's what you call it?_ She replies laughing.  
\- _April, I'm not kidding, Owen was hired by Richard to protect me._  
\- _Wait, so it's really your… bodyguard?_  
\- _Yes… if you didn't leave in your delusions alone, I could have explained it directly to you…_  
\- _So, it's not your boyfriend?_  
Amelia sighs as April redirects her attention to me.  
\- _As Amelia told you, I'm responsible for her safety…_ I finish by clarifying.  
\- _Interesting…_ replies April looking at me with a sparkle in the eyes.  
\- _Excuse me April, with the preparation of the concerts, I have a little forgotten that you arrived… you remind me how long you wanted to stay?_  
\- _A few days… but I can change my mind… obviously…_  
April had a different personality than Amelia: extrovert at first. I felt that my presence seemed to amuse her.  
\- _I let you enjoy your reunion. Nice to meet you April!_  
\- _Not as much as me_ , she answers smiling.  
I turn around and walk away and commit myself to the stair to reach my lair upstairs while perceiving distinctly voices behind me, barely veiled.  
\- _My god, he's hot… and he lives here, suddenly? You will remind me to thank Richard._  
\- _April, you will calm yourself…_  
\- _Stop, tell me you did not notice…_  
I don't hear an answer from Amelia as I arrive near my room.  
I take my phone, slipped inside my jacket that I had deposited on my bed to discover two missed calls.  
I don't hesitate to call him who tried twice to reach me, hearing him drop out at the end of the third ring.  
\- _Hi… thank you for calling back me: I have a job to offer you._


	5. Explanations

**Hello, I hope you're all doing great. Here is the chapter three of my story Bodyguard. I'm sorry by advance for the mistakes… English isn't my first language and I do my best. I hope you will enjoy this chapter :)**

* * *

Explanations

 _\- What do you think about it?_

My question breaks the silence in room 5 of the Special Units, while Nathan carefully studies the letters I presented to him.

I watch him take a magnifying glass to look at them more closely, then he puts them under an overhead projector to display them on the screen. He remains concentrated for a few moments and I knew that this attitude hid the path of his thinking.

 _\- Do you think it's serious?_

He looks at the last letter for a few more seconds and then ends up answering me.

\- _It's not a threat to take lightly Owen. There is no fingermark… The person who designed these letters took care to use words from newspaper clippings, so no way to detect anything by the graphology. And I'm sure that the glue used is a basic glue that is commercially available, so it will no give us any clue._

I listen carefully to the opinion of my former colleague of Elite Unit, specialized in profiling.

 _\- In addition, the message is quite built and coherent… with a reference to the hit of your singer._

 _\- Do you know her song?_

 _\- I have two teenagers Owen, I can hardly miss it… in any case, the one who hides behind these letters demonstrates a real intelligence and thoroughness in everything he does. He has been thinking about these letters for a long time and he is very likely to prepare the way to put his threats into action._

 _\- You think he would be able to act… to try something?_

 _\- In view of what I see there, it's inevitable for me… You must be on your guard, this man, because for me no doubt that he is a man, seems to devote a sicky love to Amelia Shepherd… a love necessarily without return…He will probably try to approach her, even to avenge himself in the face of the indifference that is sent back to him… and you know like me what form this revenge can take._

\- I dreaded Nathan's advice, and he only confirmed my suspicions about the seriousness of these threats.

 _\- You know what you have to do Owen…_

 _\- Very good… Thanks, Nathan…_

 _\- No problem… and I count on you to stop this crazy person and protect this pretty singer as it should… because otherwise, you'll have two teenagers from the Riggs Family to console._

 _\- I'll do my best…_

I retrieve the letters placed on the overhead projector and slides them in the inside pocket of my jacket.

Nathan opens the door and we walk inside side by side in the corridors of the police special units. A place that had punctuated my daily life several years ago.

 _\- Do you not miss it?_ Nathan asks me suddenly as we reach the entrance to the building.

 _\- Not really… I still have the little adrenaline rush… but without the authority that tells you what to do, what to say… I'm my own boss, it changes everything…_

 _\- And between us, in addition, the context is much more pleasant no?_

He looks at me with an amused air that leaves me pensive.

 _\- Protecting a pretty young woman like Amelia Shepherd… it's obviously more pleasant than a commando operation to free hostages in the Middle East…_

 _\- You always imagine too many things, Nathan, I see that you haven't changer…_ I answer with a smile.

 _\- You're like a brother, you know… I would like to know you're happy… to tie you… to finally open to someone._

 _\- Don't worry for me Nathan, everything is fine._

He stares at me for several seconds before shaking my hand.

 _\- A man without a woman by his side cannot say that everything is fine… Be careful Owen._

He smiles at me, then leaves me, retracing his steps and eventually disappearing down the hall.

The interview with Nathan had given me a solid conviction: Amelia was seriously threatened by a man who had the most dangerous profile of all… a man obsessed with her, but incredibly intelligent…

I arrive at the edge of Amelia's house with this information in mind and increased vigilance… not to fail my mission. As I approach the house, I notice a black sedan parked in the street. A vehicle I had never seen before and whose presence immediately intrigues me. I advance as if nothing was to show my suspicions and end up turning me discreetly by engaging on the first steps. A man stands beside the car: all dressed in black, sunglasses riveted on the eyes, a beret on his head and a smile dressing his lips.

A silhouette that I will have recognized between a thousand.

I stop and turn back to meet him.

I notice that his smile grows as I get closer and he finally takes off his sunglasses to greet me.

 _\- Glad to see you again Owen._

I shake my hand and smile back.

 _\- Nice surprise arrival, I was not expecting you until tomorrow._

 _\- Yes, but finally, I'm available today so I thought the sooner was better, right?_

 _\- You did well…_

I quickly take a look at the vehicle and then speak again.

 _\- Is the car you told me about?_

 _\- Yes, it's this one: an engine that resists all the chases and armored windows as you've told me… and puncture resistant tires._

 _\- It's perfect. Follow me, I'll introduce you!_

 _\- I am more than impatient…_

He gives me a wink and we join together the entrance to Amelia's house.

I use the key that I now have to open the door and we enter the house.

I take a quick look at the entrance before noticing activity in the living room.

I advance discreetly and it's then a young woman in tank top and shorts who welcome us, a cup in hand… the tornado that I had met the day before… April.

 _\- Morning Owen_ , she said to me singing.

 _\- Good morning_ , I answer politely.

She observes me with her piercing gaze before noticing my accomplice in my back… and observing him just as thoroughly as she could have done about me.

 _\- April, I introduce you to Jackson, he will work with me… He will be in charge of Amelia's trips… Jackson, this is April, a friend of Amelia Shepherd._

 _\- A kind of driver, then?_

 _\- Yes, but not a simple driver… I was able to work with Owen on some missions when we were in the special forces_ , Jackson replies, stepping forward a bit more in the room.

 _\- Special forces? Amelie didn't tell me everything about you apparently…_

 _\- She may not know everything… Where is she by the way that I present her to Jackson?_

April puts her cup on the coffee table in the living room and walks towards us.

 _\- She's already gone, I haven't seen her since I got up…_

She responds while passing in front of us to join the kitchen. Her answer shocks me however and I hasten to follow her.

 _\- Gone? Are you serious?_

 _\- She had to rehearse for her concert this morning…_

My heart is accelerating instantly, the adrenaline invading my person, while I realize that the one I need to protect is not where I believed it… and that I'm not at her side.

I don't show my trouble to her friends and ask the question that burns my lips as calmly as possible.

 _\- Where is she? Did she tell you?_

 _\- Yes, of course… She is at the Conservatoire, where she rented a room for the year that she regularly uses to work on her compositions or to repeat her concert… the Bach room._

 _\- Conservatoire, ok, do you have the address by chance?_

 _\- It's in Georgetown… 5813 Airport Way S_

 _\- Thank you, April…_

I turn directly, exchange a look with Jackson making him understand without speaking my intention as I advance towards the entrance.

 _\- Wait, Owen!_

The hand already on the doorknob, April's voice stops me in action and I discover her a few steps.

 _\- Did nothing happen to her? She doesn't risk anything?_

 _\- I will make sure._

I open the door, Jackson in my wake as we find the outside world.

We walk quickly towards the car and we settle respectively in the driver and passenger seat. Jackson starts early and we leave Madison Park.

 _\- The direction the Conservatoire I presume_ , he told me after a few seconds.

I just nodded, still disturbed by the negligence of Amelia who was left alone, without warning me.

I grabbed my cell phone activating Amelia's number, but I fell on her answering machine without success. I sigh and decide not to leave a message and I end up calling her manager, hoping he'll be with her. He picks up after the second ring.

 _\- Yes, hello Owen, everything is okay?_

 _\- Not really Richard… Is Amelia by your side?_

 _\- No, I'm in a meeting with the production for her concert… she's not with you?_

 _\- And apparently, she decided to leave without telling me… I'm on my way to join her… I plan to re-explain with her, I'm not used to running after my clients… It will eventually reveal everything if it happens again…_

Her manager remains silent a few moments behind the handset and finally responds.

 _\- I will talk to her if I have to… and in terms of revealing everything to her, I will think about it but please, don't tell her anything…_

 _\- Fine… we will talk about it again…_

I hang up without waiting for an answer from him; I look reflexively through the glass to try to spot where we were, noting that the weather was covered in a few minutes.

 _\- Don't worry O', I'm sure she's safe._

 _\- Probably, but I will not have to ask myself this question…_

 _\- I intend to meet this famous singer…_

Fortunately for us, the journey is not too long. Jackson quickly finds a place to park and we leave without delay.

We enter the building and my eyes scan the billboards before spotting the famous « Room Bach » arrow in a hallway on our right. I go towards the indicated direction, Jackson following me closely and we arrive quickly in front of a door with the inscription « Bach » which marks the end of our search.

I heard notes and a voice that I began to know well escaping through the door and finally open and enter the room.

The frame that welcomes us is a large room, filled with different musical instruments with a large mirror as a wall. Facing her, Amelia stands in front of a microphone, surrounded by her guitarist and another piano musician on the side, with a young woman sitting on a chair watching them. Our entrance doesn't seem to disturb Amelia in the least since she continues her song without stopping as we move into the room.

Her gaze ends up crossing mine through the mirror but no particular expression wins her face. We stay behind with Jackson, not wishing to disturb the work session.

The song ends in about two minutes and Amelia instantly directs her gaze to the young woman, present at her side.

 _\- What do you think of this new arrangement, Steph?_

 _\- I find it not bad at all… the scene is interesting… however, it will be necessary to bring out your voice, because at times I found that the piano and the guitar hid almost. And you will have to work your connection between the sentences, we will take it together if you want…_

 _\- Ok, no problem… we will stall all that, we still have a little time before the concert._

The pianist and this young woman look out for us, while Amelia takes a look at her watch.

 _\- I think we can stop for today… we've come a long way… Thank you, Ben and Andrew!_

The pianist activates first: he makes the kiss to Amelia and quickly leaves the room, the cellphone stuck to the ear while giving us a slight smile.

I observe Amelia whispers something to this young woman named Steph. She takes her in her arms a few moments then Steph advances in our direction to leave the room.

She blows us a « see you soon » then eclipses in a turn.

Andrew is the only one to stay in the room, the guitar already riveted in the back, watching Amelia put on her jacket and arrange her hair in a messy bun.

I approach discreetly, catching a little more precisely the words that escape from the mouth of Amelia.

 _\- Andrew, the next time, I will pass you the scores of a new composition that I just finished…_

 _\- Ok, no problem, you can count on me._

 _\- Thanks, Andrew._

She kissed him on the cheek quickly, and he gives her a big smile.

 _\- Go now_ , she replies, smiling in turn.

He finally turns around, walks past us with a wave and leaves the room.

 _\- Are you accompanied today_? Amelia asks me, watching me through the mirror smiling.

I walk a few steps to post a few meters from her as she finally turns around and faces me, Jackson was slightly behind me.

 _\- And you forgot that I have to accompany you?_

She slips a light scarf around her neck… probably a reflex to protect her voice.

 _\- I knocked on your door this morning when I got up… but you were already gone… and this rehearsal was very important to me._

 _\- Amelia, that things are clear between us: you do not leave home without me… I don't want to relive what happened this morning._

 _\- But I could not wait for you, my musicians and my vocal coach also have other commitments you know…_

 _\- You must keep me informed of your schedule… this morning, I left because I thought you were staying quietly at home…_

Her eyes flee me but her voice rises quickly again.

 _\- Owen, I was just going to a work session, it's not a professional representation._

 _\- No matter where you go Amelia, I'm with you._

She triturates the sleeve of her leather jacket while remaining silent a few seconds.

I remained calm throughout our exchange but firm enough to make her understand that my requests were not optional.

However, I perceive a certain discomfort settle in her, and I speak again with the sweetest voice possible.

 _\- I can't work if you don't tell me everything…_

She lowers her eyes and then looks at me again, and answers me with a little voice that surprises me.

 _\- Excuse me… I didn't think badly, nor cause you problems… I'm a little anxious by the representation of this concert and when I saw that you were not there, I preferred leaving anyway…_

She seemed almost embarrassed by my remarks and her attitude wounded me, I had the impression to have a little girl in front of me, at this moment… I felt that the anguish in front of this concert had surely been the strongest and had led this negligence.

 _\- Next time you call me, and I'll be there soon… okay?_

 _\- Of course, I'm sorry._

 _\- Well, we forget that, and I'll make sure I do not leave… or I'll keep you informed to make sure that it is not a problem._

I turn to Jackson, nodding to him as he approaches.

 _\- I introduce you to Jackson Avery he will work with me… he will be your driver._

Jackson holds out a hand to Amelia for a few moments while smiling slightly.

 _\- Hello, Mr. Avery, nice to meet you._

 _\- Hello and call me Jackson, I prefer._

 _\- Fine, provided you also call me Amelia._

Jackson nods to Amelia, accepting her request.

 _\- As the presentation are made, will we be able to go there? Or do you want to stay a little longer?_

 _\- No, I'm ready and I promised April to have lunch with her._

 _\- Do you have lunch outside?_

 _\- No at the house._

 _\- Okay, on the way then!_

We leave the room that Amelia takes care to lock and join the entrance of the building.

The external view that we find is a gray and dark Seattle, bathed by pouring rain.

 _\- I bring the car closer_ , throws Jackson in a breath.

He hastens to go out, running in the rain to join his vehicle.

 _\- I'm sorry, I don't have an umbrella on me._

 _\- It doesn't matter, I'm not going to melt._

I turn my gaze to Amelia on the side, before answering her.

 _\- But I would not want you to catch a cold…_

A slight smile wins her face and she replies after a few seconds while staring at me.

 _\- In your mission, do you also watch over my health?_

 _\- I take care of everything in general…_

She still fixes me so intensely… I was not used to being so clearly in my eyes, and her eyes almost disturb me.

I end up yielding under this intensity and redirecting my gaze to the outside, noting that a black sedan has just posted the warning on the opposite sidewalk.

 _\- Ready for a little sprint?_

She just smiles at me and staples her purse under her shoulder.

I put a hand behind her back and leads her to the entrance of the building.

I stop a few steps from the automatic doors and look at the side.

I take off my jacket, ready to place it above us to cover the few meters separating us from the car.

 _\- A real gentleman as a bodyguard, I'm lucky…_

I nod to her smiling and I unfold my jacket as I can above us.

 _\- Stay close to me._

We leave the building and the intensity of the rain surprises me as it falls on my jacket and I perceive the strength of the drops spread on my arms.

A fresh and lively wind adds to the rains and creates a violent heat shock with the warm cocoon we had just left.

I feel Amelia take refuge a little more under my shoulder, obviously as surprised as me by the weather conditions. We arrive at the edge of the sidewalk and have to wait a few seconds for several cars to pass and clear the way for us to cross.

I can see Amelia's right arm slipping in my back and sticking to me and under my jacket.

Her gesture surprises me but I soon feel a few shivers run through her: she was dressed in a simple tank top under her leather jacket and the outside freshness hit her violently…

I take a look right and left before joining, leading Amelia with me, to run across, while hearing the sweet laugh of Amelia during our little sprint.

Arrived in front of the car, she gently detaches me: I keep the jacket on top of her by leaving her open her own door and then I quickly gain the passenger seat, to take refuge in my car.

Jackson welcomes us with a smile while starting without waiting.

 _\- Sorry, I could not get on the nearest sidewalk, I would have to turn around completely and with the traffic, it would have taken a little time._

 _\- No problem, everything is fine Amelia?_ I asked, turning to her.

She tightens her scarf a little around her neck, answering me.

 _\- Everything is fine… thank you for using you as an umbrella._

Jackson laughs slightly at my side and surprises me by taking the word again.

 _\- One of your hidden talents O', I didn't know you the gift of turning you into an umbrella._

 _\- Jackson, if you concentrated on the road?_

My accomplice makes me a wink but a sound capture my attention more than it should… a melody that I had the pleasure to hear twice in a few minutes… a sweet laugh that escapes from the back seat and charm, despite me, my ears.


	6. Arouse (part 1)

Hello, I hope you're all doing great. Here is chapter five of my story Bodyguard. I'm sorry by advance for the mistakes… English isn't my first language and I do my best.

* * *

Arouse (part 1)

A week that I had settled my quarters at Amelia Shepherd and I began to quickly take my habits.  
One of them was to prepare the coffee and enjoy a quiet breakfast.  
Amelia usually got up after me and this morning, while the room clock was showing « 8:30 », I was in the kitchen waiting for the coffee to finish sinking.  
The day was busy, she had a shooting planned and I did not really know what to expect.  
The last drops escape from the filter of the coffee maker and I hasten to pour me a generous cup of this dark nectar. My toast series bounces simultaneously over the toast, which allows me to finalize my morning meal.  
I toast two toast of Nutella and enjoy them with pleasure while sipping my coffee regularly.

* * *

I hear footsteps running down the stairs and I finally see Amelia appear, already dressed in jeans and a black V-top.  
- _Good morning_ , she announces to me when entering the room.  
\- _Good morning, you are early morning today._  
She goes to the fridge and takes out a brick of fresh orange juice which she uses a large glass.  
\- _I had a bad night… and we will start the photo shoot sooner than expected…_  
Shes gobbles her glass of orange juice, then turns to me, looking at me from head to toe.  
\- _Are you ready already?_  
\- _Yes, I always get up early… there are certain habits that are hard to get rid of._  
She observes me a little longer before taking the floor again.  
\- _Is it a new shirt?_  
Her question takes me a little off guard and I take a look reflexively on my shirt while touching the fabric with my fingers.  
I had not put my tie on yet and my jacket was sitting on a chair behind me, so my shirt was clearly put forward: I had dressed without really paying attention… I had dozens of white shirts and some of the color… including this one, a blue nightshirt that I had chosen completely by chance while preparing me this morning.  
\- _It's not new, but I may not wear here yet…_  
\- _It suits you very well, it brings out your eyes…_  
She makes this remark to me by staring at me intensely and I don't know how to react… I feel almost uncomfortable and I decide to quickly change the subject.  
\- _Do you want coffee, I just made it?_  
\- _Yes gladly, thank you._  
She walks to the bar and grabs an apple in the fruit basket.  
I leave my stool and go on her back to fill her a cup of coffee by slipping a sugar.  
I add a spoon and approach her on the side putting the cup on the bar.  
\- _Thank you… Can you pass me the sugar?_  
- _If it's for the sugar cube that you add to your coffee, it's already in it…_  
She looks at me surprised by this information but does not reply and just smiling at me by crunching in her apple.  
I take place in front of the half of toast I have left and take a big bite.  
I then see a laugh and looking up, I discovered Amelia facing me on the other side of the bar, watching me amused.  
\- _What are you laughing about?_  
She laughs even more when she notices my incomprehension  
\- _It's just that… it's been several days since I wondered what was happening with my pots of Nutella that was decreasing so fast… I even scolded April thinking that it was she who cracked in secret… but I didn't even consider that it was you…_  
I finish my toast while looking down at my plate.  
\- _You know one of my secrets now,_ I answer her smiling.  
Her own smile grows a little longer before she speaks again.  
- _I didn't know it was such an important part of my bodyguard diet… but it reassures me…_  
\- _Does it reassure …you?_  
\- _Yes, I know you have weaknesses like all of us…_  
She then seizes the spoon that was in the pot of Nutella to make it disappear in her mouth and let it reappear a few seconds later, cleaned of the famous spread.  
\- _…and it's true that it's too good…_  
She smiles at me and I cannot resist almost laughing at her gesture.

The doorbell rang at the same time, clenching me directly and causing me to go back to the « vigilance » mode.  
\- _Are you waiting for someone?_  
She doesn't answer my question directly, allowing herself to question me in return.  
\- _You all learn punctuality in your workouts?_  
Her question remains unresolved and she's content to finish her apple by gauging me.  
I advance to the videophone and I understand better what she refers to when discovering Jackson at the entrance.  
I open him and he walks forward after shaking my hand.  
\- _Hello_ , he blows me.  
\- _Hello, what are you doing here?_  
\- _I'm coming to work, Amelia left me a text telling me that the departure was for 9:00 am… so I'm on time._  
I heard footsteps in my back and turning around I actually find Amelia our side.  
\- _Hello Jackson, thank you for coming earlier._  
\- _No problem, I'm here for that._  
\- _Okay, I get my back and we go there? It's good for you Owen?_  
\- _When you're ready…_  
She almost runs up the stairs and I am to return to my room. I go down so quickly, finishing to tie my tie on the stairs and then slipping my jacket left in the kitchen.  
I join Jackson in the entrance that had not moved a hair.  
\- _Do you have the address of the place?_  
\- _Yes, it's in Capitol Hill… I vaguely see where it is, don't worry._  
\- _I'm not worried Jackson…_  
We soon hear slamming heels and we see Amelia down the stairs, shoes and a purse completing her look… with a guitar in her hand.  
When she's by our side, I open the door for her and follow her, leaving Jackson close the door behind.

We walk the few meters separating us from the car.  
I let her take place at the back and join my usual place, passenger side.  
Jackson starts quickly, once installed, and the journey begins silently under a clear blue sky curt with the morose atmosphere of the last day of April.  
I observe the surrounding through the window and watch from time to time Amelia by the mirror. And at each glance, I discover her, contemplating the surroundings, the pensive look even worried.  
I don't dare first to break the silence in the vehicle and then without knowing why, at the end of the fifth look to the back seat, it's stronger than me.  
I turn to her discreetly and noting that she remains motionless, the words leave before I retain them.  
\- _Amelia, are you okay?_  
A few seconds pass and she finally turns her head towards me.  
Her face is a little more fixed than during our first-morning exchange.  
\- _Yes, thank you… this photo session worries me a little… some doubts again… but everything will be better in two hours._  
Our eyes remain fixed in each other for a few moments, until Jackson remembers us.  
\- _Here we are,_ he announces finishing parking.  
\- _You are waiting for us…_  
\- _No problem, O'. Good shooting, Amelia._  
\- _Thank you, Jackson_ , she answers.  
She stays quietly in the car, waiting for me to go first, which surprises me pleasantly.  
I take a look right and left before opening it and let her out of the car.  
\- _You learn quickly,_ I say in a whisper.  
\- _I have to let you work, right?_  
I close the door behind her, and accompany her to the building facing us, one hand behind her back and grabbing me with her guitar.  
She looks at me out of the corner of her eyes but doesn't reply to my gesture.  
Once in front of the building, she unlocks the door code giving us access to the entrance of the building.  
She seems to know the place very well, heading without hesitation and leading us to an imposing third-floor door.

She rings and the door doesn't take long to open in front of us.  
A young brunette, slender and smiling, welcomes us on the other side.  
She walks up to Amelia and gives her a big kiss while blowing a « hello » to her.  
I stay behind and finally enter the place, closing the door behind me.  
Amelia waves to me, bringing me face to this unknown that I discover for the first time.  
\- _Carina, I present to you Owen Hunt, who takes care of my safety. Owen, here's my photographer friend, Carina Deluca._  
This young woman scrutinizes me intensely, then hands me a hand that I press briefly.  
\- _Nice to meet you, Owen…_  
\- _Likewise._  
She speaks to Amelia in the wake of having greeted me.  
\- _It's all new to tell me?_  
\- _Yeah, some days…_  
\- _Everything is fine?_  
\- _Yes, it's just Richard who considers that we must be more careful henceforth… you know him…_  
She smiles at Amelia while waving us forward.  
I discovered a large room in a loft apartment, which seems to be dedicated to her work as a photographer: gray colored panel covering the wall, three lights projectors and various cameras already placed on tripods.  
\- _Amelia, about the session, we are still on what we said last time, you haven't changed your mind?_  
I see Amelia think a few seconds and finally come forward to answer him.  
- _I thought about it again this morning… are you sure it's a good idea, I don't want it to be badly perceived?_  
I observe the exchange on the side without really understanding what they are talking about but trying to detect any clue allowing me to better understand the discussion.  
\- _Amelia, you know me… we always did things that matched you and that will be the case here too. Trust me, it will be very pretty and elegant… and the visual would fit perfectly to your album._  
The photographer then looks at me from the corner of my eye and then goes back to Amelia.  
\- _You will be more comfortable if we are only two?_ (turning to me) _Maybe you can leave us during the session?_  
I am looking for the look of Amelia who avoids me carefully, but I reply without waiting for approval from her.  
\- _I stay here… it's part of my job._  
\- _Okay, in this case, Amelia are you still with me?_  
She hesitates and finally lets her answer.  
\- _Okay… I'll see the result anyway… before I decide._  
\- _Good, you have a screen, just on the side to change, I put you a kimono that you can put on and you join me?_  
Amelia nods and eclipses behind the wooden panels on the side.  
However, I remain perplexed after this indication.  
\- _Owen?_  
The question of the photographer remobilizes me at the moment and I turn to her.  
\- _Can you put the guitar here, just steps away from the lens?_  
I performed without flinching, still disturbed by this discussion that I did not understand.  
- _Thank you, you can put yourself behind me on the left side, if you wish, there s a stool for you to sit down._  
I settle where indicated when footsteps on the side make me turn my head.  
And the sight that unfolds before my eyes catches me completely off-guard…  
I actually see Amelia advance to the small square of the room dedicated to shooting… wearing only a short kimono that barely reaches mid-thigh, and wearing boots with heels, covered with fur.  
Carina smiles as she sees her approaching and settles in front of her.  
I feel the tension rising in me, realizing that this photo shoot takes a turn that I had not really anticipated.  
\- _You have the guitar right here… we will try different poses, I think… we'll start with back shots where you put your guitar on your shoulder. I'll tell you how to place yourself so that you can see your face. When you want._  
Carina adjusts the brightness of the projectors then activates to detach a lens from his tripod, making several shots in the vacuum to check the rendering.  
My eyes don't leave Amelia, however: she takes her guitar out her holster, holster she poss a few meters away.  
She then moves from behind, at an equal distance between the gray panel, placed as a Wall for the photo shoot and Carina setting her camera.  
She remains motionless for a few moments as if she hesitated; then she keeps her guitar in one hand and wrinkling of fabric makes me understand that she detaches the kimono that dresses it.  
The two pieces of fabric are shifting on both sides of her body.  
A shoulder motion from her then slides the fabric against her and she removes the first sleeve of this light garment.  
This side of the kimono falls well in her back and what appears before my eyes crisps me directly.

A bare shoulder.  
A halfback completely offered to my eyes…  
I stay fixed on this skin which is revealed.

Quickly she separates from the second sleeve, the guitar having changed hands…  
Carina approaches Amelia and retrieves the piece of fabric she leaves on cardboard at her side.  
Amelia stays behind for her part… and I feel almost uncomfortable in front of the image in front of me.

Amelia completely naked except for a skinny black shorty, shaping her buttocks.  
I try to react as professionally as possible but my eyes seem to decide in my place.

Enjoying the least centimeters of bareback.  
Lingering on a small of the back.  
Detailing perfectly designed buttocks.  
Browsing a line of legs unveiling a few meters from me.

I realize that I have just devoured eyes, the one that I have to protect… an attitude that is completely inappropriate but that I could not control.  
I look down instantly, feeling the effects of these few moments of distraction: a pulse that has accelerated, a heat that runs through me.  
When I look up, Amelia stalled her guitar behind her back and Carina is at her side, positioning Amelia's face in profile and recalling her hair.  
\- _That's it, don't move anymore…_  
Carina returns to a few meters, takes again her camera and the shots crackle quickly.  
\- _Ok, drop your look a little…_  
Amelia fulfills and looks down at the floor, giving Carina the chance to make new shots.  
\- _Move your hair a little bit less disciplined…_  
Amelia shakes her head slightly and I'm almost fascinated watching her hair come to life around her, slipping slightly behind her back and falling in front of her eyes… giving me an irresistible urge to put her hair back behind her ear.  
\- _Super honey, don't move any more… open your mouth slightly… awesome, beautiful…_  
Several flashes dazzle the room while Carina snaps away at Amelia for several moments.  
My eyes never leave Amelia… I reassure myself by saying that I'm only respecting one of the basic techniques of my work but a small voice deep inside me, blows me another reason, less respectable…  
A reason that I simply refuse to hear.


	7. Arouse (part 2)

Arouse (Part 2)

\- _Ok, Amelia, everything's good, we continue?_  
Carina's voice before me comes out of my reverie and my internal questions  
\- _Yes, I'm fine…_  
\- _Ok, we already have beautiful shots, but I would like to try something else… your guitar against you.. from the front… we use your hair to cover you…_  
Amelia puts her head back against the wall in front of her, remaining silent for a few moments before we see an « ok » escape from her.  
She turns directly in front of us and my blood is a trick, my heart pounding as I discover her chest in front of me… completely discovered…  
But this image only appears for a few moments as she hastens to replace her guitar in front of her and let her hair fall on both sides.  
\- _Hold your guitar well… for your hair, it's good like that._  
The strap of her guitar covers part of her chest while her hair is placed in front of her and protect her… but my eyes scrutinize that part of her body where only the points of her hair conceal her, and I guess the sensual curve that I had just discovered…

* * *

My heartbeat is racing and I recognize the effects that come alive in my body like the bubbling that is born deep within me.  
A part of my body only needs to react, remembering violently to me, and referring me to my own weaknesses.  
I breathe as deeply as possible to control these reactions of a man who were clearly forbidden to me… when the person who triggers them is none other than the one I must protect.  
\- _Okay, look at me…_  
I try to detach myself from the scene to focus only on the sounds: Carina's words, the clicks escaping from the camera.  
I don't know how much time passes while I kept my eyes down, slightly hidden behind Carina, avoiding Amelia in front of me… until the photographer calls me.  
\- _Owen, do you want to get up and put yourself here?_  
I raise my head, surprised that she's talking to me and she's asking me something.  
\- _Excuse me?_  
She turns to me, pointing to the direction of her hand.  
- _If you could put yourself here, it would give Amelia a benchmark._  
My legs move without my brain making my move and I find myself standing, at the place indicated by Carina.  
\- _Thank you… Amelia: you will place your left hand against the neck of your guitar… and the other on your guitar case without touching the strings, keep a part of your chest just hidden by your hair…however, you don't fix the objective, but you look at Owen, all right?_  
Amelia nods and her gaze suddenly finds mine.  
My eyes don't wander but remain immersed in these two blue eyes that fix me… I detect after a few seconds a spark to dazzle and sparkle, fascinating me literally.  
\- _Keep this look, honey, it's superb …_  
I feel quickly react under the intensity of this look.  
A heat invades me.  
But this time it's not what I guess of her shape that overwhelms me but a piercing look sending me a veil of mystery that I would have liked to surround.  
A few flashes g off and surround Amelia with a brief intermittent light.  
I guess a slight smile on her face as she watches me.  
\- _Beautiful, Amelia…_  
Carina's remark echoes in my head… as if reading in my thoughts.  
My gaze wanders suddenly in the sweeping as a whole in front of me, before finding her face and her eyes that send me an amused glow… as if she saw clearly in my inner struggle and those few seconds of weakness she had just observed.  
\- _Ok, I think we have beautiful material.. we can stop! Do you get dressed and look at the rushes together?_  
\- _It works…_  
Amelia answers by smiling at me and I quickly look down and join my stool a few steps.  
When I turn around, Amelia has already disappeared behind the screen and Carina connects her camera to her laptop to load the shots.  
Amelia soon reappears dressed again in the outfit she had on arriving.  
She goes straight to Carina, concentrated on her laptop.  
\- _So what does it give?_ Hastens to ask Amelia.  
\- _Judge for yourself…_  
Amelia is placed in front of her screen and I guess the scrolling shots take place under her eyes.  
\- _You are a magician, Carina…_  
\- _The model has a big role in the success of a photo you know…_  
Amelia just smiles at her remark.  
\- _I made color and black and white versions but the black and white really returns something special and I think it will be perfect for your poster… I love this one, you have a look… I don't know what you thought but this glint in your eyes is really beautiful…_  
\- _You did an incredible job Carina, thank you… I'm not disappointed with the result._  
\- _Thank you for trusting me, I send you the prints as soon as I can and you can make your choice okay?_  
\- _Okay…_  
Amelia picks up her guitar and walks over to Carina to give her a kiss.  
- _Thank you again, Carina, you do wonder each time._  
\- _It's a pleasure to work with you, you know it._  
I leave my stool feeling that the moment to take off has arrived.  
I get closer to the front door, opening it to let out Amelia.  
She finally joins me while her friend photographer makes me a hand sign.

We find the hallway of the building and quickly enter the elevator.  
The silence settles in this confined place and our looks are looked for but are avoided quickly as if we were both embarrassed by what had happened during these two hours.  
The doors of the elevator open in front of us and we leave in a few moments of the building.  
Amelia holds her guitar in her case in her hand and I guide her, one hand behind her back, to the car waiting for us.  
\- _Relieved?_ I finally ask her while we have several hundred meters to go.  
\- _Yes, that went well… I'm not used to doing this kind of shooting._  
\- _You could have warned me…_  
\- _To do what?_  
- _If you were uncomfortable, I would have understood: I could have left you and waited at the door._  
\- _You didn't seem really ready to leave your place… and besides, you proved useful…_  
Her first remark leaves me pensive and I take a look in her direction: would she have perceived my disorder? I should not, in any case, let her show that I was weak for a few minutes, to the point of forgetting almost all my duty…  
I don't reply as we arrive at the car and let her settle, joining my place.  
Jackson already has a hand on the wheel, while addressing us.  
\- _So this shoot?_  
\- _It should give something nice, but Owen is a better judge than me as a spectator…_  
Jackson starts and we quickly leave the Capital Hill area towards Amelia's house.  
\- _Owen… so?_  
I didn't respond to the remark made by Amelia, but Jackson didn't miss an opportunity to tickle me… he was always as teasing as when we were teammates on missions.  
He looks at me sideways until I give my opinion… which turned out to be rather complicated.  
This one question is enough to remind me of the photo shoot: the images scroll in my head… and I try to chase them as soon as possible.  
- _I'm not sure of being a good judge as you say… your fans will do it better than me…_  
\- _Do you have an opinion O'?_  
I throw a look at Jackson as to make him understand not to insist…  
\- _If I wasn't to my advantage, tell me Owen because I would not like to ridicule myself with this poster._  
She seemed to doubt… to believe that she didn't finally suspect how much I had bubbled from the inside.  
\- _Completely to your advantage and even more than that…_ I finish by answering her, ending in a whisper.  
I meet Amelia's surprised look through the rearview mirror when the ringing of her phone interrupts our exchange.  
She takes the call and engages in a conversation that will take place during the ten minutes necessary to reach her home… a call with Richard where she reviewed with him several details about this upcoming concert that seemed so anxious.  
She ends the call while Jackson parks to let us down.  
- _You remain available if we need you._  
\- _No problem O'. See you soon Amelia._  
\- _Thank you, Jackson._  
I quickly get out of the car and guide Amelia back to the house, taking care to go in first as it became customary.

Footsteps quickly down the stairs and I discover April all smiles and visibly delighted to see us again.  
\- _Ha, here you are, so this photoshoot? Do you have shots to show me?_  
\- _No, not yet, Carina must sort and send me the ones she has selected for me to make my choice._  
\- _Shame, I would have liked to see that. How did you find Owen? Knowing Carina, she must have wanted to try different poses, one that you liked more than others perhaps?_  
One that pleased me more than another?  
A glance…  
Unveiled forms…  
Curves that I caught myself redrawing…  
I feel suddenly relive the sensations that struck me earlier in the day… and only one wants to escape.  
\- _Owen?_  
\- _Yes… Amelia did very well… excuse me, I will run a little, I didn't have time to do my jogging this morning._  
I disappear as quickly as I can, not giving them time to react, to change me in a hurry. I go down after a few minutes: I hear their voice in the living room but I go straight without stopping.  
I find the outside air, the feeling of space and freedom around me.  
My strides are set up gradually and I run without any specific goal, but allowing the tensions to escape… I run faster than I should… but the need to let off steam is stronger than anything.  
All these images of this morning parade in my head and I feel nervousness dawn… a nervousness direct towards myself and towards those reactions that I had had the weakness to feel.  
In front of this woman who has revealed herself, in front of these forms that I have more than guessed, these desires that I have manifested themselves.  
Just thinking about it makes me react again…  
I arrive at the edge of the lake and I go down the stairs at full speed.  
Once arrived down, I attack the rise of this long series of stairs in order to exhaust me and block me all these prohibited reactions.  
I arrive so at the top of this climb, the breath almost cut, the T-shirt sticking to my chest under the effect of the sweat that appeared during my effort.  
I don't stop so long, not giving me time to find normal breathing and I unconsciously resume the path of Amelia's house. I recognize the surroundings of her house after several minutes and end my stride once at the top of the steps.  
I stay a few moments behind the door to gradually regain my breath and a « normal » heart rate.  
My body left forces in this race that I had just imposed... to exhaust myself and stop all those memories that I had to forget.

After a minute, I decided to go back…  
The silence greets me, I notice the silhouette of April in the living room, a book in hand but I continue my way without lingering.  
I join the bathroom and take a quick shower to clean the traces of this effort that I had inflected myself as a punishment.  
A punishment that I conclude with a cold shower to get rid of this experience that should not be repeated.  
I get out of the shower and surround myself with a towel tied at the waist, another around my neck after drying my hair quickly: I realize then that I didn't take any spare clothes in my haste; and in any case, I could not put back the clothes I had just left.  
I sigh in front of my own negligence and go out of the bathroom with the hope of reaching my room as soon as possible.  
I close the bathroom door, one hand propped against my waist to hold the towel.  
When I turn around, I discover with surprise Amelia a few meters in front of me, leaving her room the guitar in her hand.  
She continues to advance after seeing me, but her steps are not so big… less assured.  
I stay for my part, root to the spot, my hand against the towel wriggling a little more.  
I watch her progress almost shyly, her eyes avoiding mine… but I notice that her eyes are looking something other than my face as I feel drops of my hair dripping down my chest.  
She stops suddenly a few steps from me… her gaze seems stuck on a specific part of my body and I quickly understand that she is watching my scars… especially those running along my ribs. My free arm sticks against my side to cover these marks of another life while two blue eyes find my eyes…  
\- _Amelia, tell me, can I borrow a dress for tonight?_  
The voice of April rises suddenly.  
Amelia turns around and discovers her friend, arriving at the top of the stairs and seeing us in the middle of the hallway.  
\- _I am disturbing?_  
\- _No, not at all, I was going to join my composition room and…_  
I perceive April advance in the back of Amelia and discover me a little more in turn.  
\- _And you have been glued on discovering what is hidden under these pants._  
I feel even worse with this piercing look from April.  
\- _Muscular just right, where it has to…_  
My free hand place reflexively on my stomach… as if to protect me from indiscreet eyes.  
\- _Excuse me, you allow that…_  
\- _April, come on we'll go downstairs have tea…_  
Amelia takes her friend by the hand and leads her down the stair again, giving me an opportunity to join my room, without having to endure this unpleasant situation for me any longer.

I quickly close the door of my room and let my head fall against… eyes close a few seconds.  
And the image that greets me is color.  
This intense and mysterious blue.  
This glow that radiates a face.  
And that troubles me already more than it should.  
Because this trouble just did not reach me.  
I had to protect myself from the strength of the sparks that hit me today.  
To become… insensitive.

Untouchable.


	8. I am here

I am here…

\- _Miss Shepherd, are you following us for makeup?_  
Amelia looks for my eyes and I nod in the following, the assistant of the show ahead of us.  
We were for much of the day in a TV studio in Seattle, recording a variety show that was once done live… what do add an extra stress point, the right to error and the second take not allowed.  
We arrive in the makeup room and we signal to Amelia to sit on a chair facing a mirror. Other people were already busy in the room and I recognize the host of the show that ran through his note while touching his foundation.  
Amelia smiles slightly and settles: I post myself for myself a little behind to not annoy anyone.  
A young woman then approaches Amelia, a big case in the hand, that she puts on the table.  
\- _Hello Miss Shepherd. My name is Kelly and I will take care of your makeup if you want._  
- _Hello Kelly._  
\- _This is your outfit for your appearance?_  
I notice Amelia take a look by reflex on herself before answering.  
\- _Yes, indeed._  
- _I really like. This modern rock 'n' roll style suits you perfectly._  
I use to be in the middle of showbiz and with the many and sluggish amiabilities that reigned there. But this makeup artist looked at Amelia with a sincere hint of admiration, which made me think that her compliment was not just an umpteenth mark of politeness…

* * *

\- _What do you want us to do?_  
\- _I would like something natural but quite glamorous… rather centered on my eyes, I would prefer to focus attention on my eyes._  
\- _Okay… so I suggest you cover your eyes a dark slightly smoky, with a touch of mascara, and just a touch of gloss to make your lips sparkle… okay with you?_  
\- _Yes, perfect…_  
The makeup artist is working without further ado.  
I redirect my attention to the comings and goings of the room, taking care to notice a little more precisely the people who would have to approach Amelia.  
After a quarter of an hour, a man sits then on the cair to the right of Amelia obviously ready to also pass under the expert hands of a makeup artist.  
He takes a quick look at Amelia and I notice that his smile grows instantly.  
\- _It's my lucky day, Amelia Shepherd by my side…_  
Amelia slightly turns her head while the makeup artist applies some touches of blush on her cheeks, to discover this man who has just addressed her.  
\- _Good evening Mark…_  
\- _I didn't know you were participating on this show…_  
\- _The same for you… are you coming for a new album?_  
\- _Yes, I present the first title tonight… I hope it will have the same success like yours, I could see that everything was going well for you…_  
\- _For now, it's going pretty well…_  
I watch the scene from my position back from the room while noticing the insistent look of this man on Amelia reviewing her from head to toe.  
\- _You are always so pretty…_  
Amelia is settling to smile at him without replying anything to this compliment.  
The look of this singer didn't please me… I almost had the impression to see a predator in front of me, gauging his future prey.  
\- _Here Miss Shepherd, what do you think?_  
The makeup artist's sentence almost relieves me by announcing the imminent end of this exchange.  
\- _I really like Kelly, thanks a lot_.  
\- _Thank you, and good show!_  
The makeup artist shifts and settles alongside the singer who had just exchanged a few words with Amelia.  
\- _See you soon Mark!_ Launches Amelia while getting up from her chair.  
\- _I hope to meet you backstage… otherwise, I hope very soon on a next show… or for any other occasion, my invitations always take…_  
Amelia quickly disappears from the room and I follow her immediately, bringing her back to her dressing room.  
We find the empty room, Andrew and Richard probably left to spot the edge of the set.

The room is not the one we left more than an hour ago.  
Gifts and flowers are indeed based on one of the two tables in the dressing room…  
\- _Can you remind me of the time Owen, I didn't put a watch?_ Amelia asks me while heading to the table in question.  
I take a look at my watch to give her the information she was waiting for.  
\- _It's 8:30 pm… you will be in half an hour if the initial order of passage is respected._  
\- _You read in my thoughts…_ she whispers me smiling.  
The light of the room fully illuminates her face and I discovered the makeup that had just been made… and no doubt, on the fact, that her eyes stood out even more than usual…  
Amelia looks at the three bouquets and the associated words when the door of the dressing room opens and reveals Richard and Andrew in full discussion.  
\- _You did it 100 times this song, Andrew…_  
Amelia looks up to her two accomplices while tackling a big package she begins to unpack.  
Andrew walks a few steps into the room, then stops suddenly looking at his interpreter a little more precisely.  
\- _You are very pretty Amelia…_  
\- _She's always pretty, Andrew_ , resume Richard.  
Amelia laughs lightly at this exchange, then lowers her eyes to the package she finally opens.  
Her face then whitened and the lid of the package slips out of her hands, falling to the ground with a dull song.  
Two big strides bring me to Amelia's side whose hands began to shake.  
\- _Amelia, what is happening?_ Asks Richard, almost panicked.  
I'm moving Amelia behind me while discovering what sparked this reaction.

A bouquet of faded black roses and faded white lilies rest in the package.  
And a message with words of newspaper clippings as on previous messages.  
« _I loved these flowers just like you… it's your turn to suffer the same fate soon._ »  
Richard and Andrew are already in front of me and are also aware of the contents of the package.  
I exchange a look with Richard where I detect a deep concern.  
I turn back without delay to Amelia who sat a few steps.  
I approach her, realizing that her hands are still shaking uncontrollably and that her eyes are shining with tears.  
\- _Amelia, calm down…_  
\- _What does it mean?_ She asks in a small voice.  
A silence is returned to her for the only answer.  
She observes me then redirects her attention to her manager, who has his eyes down… as a sign revealing his guilt.  
\- _What is happening here?_ Asks in turn, Andrew.  
\- _Andrew, don't involve in that, will you?_ Responds firmly Richard at his side.  
\- _To involve with what? Richard, you explain to me? You almost don't look surprised and Owen either?_  
\- _You shouldn't have learned it like that._  
Amelia's eyes widen a little more while I guess she has understood everything… including my presence at her side, my requirements…  
She looks up at me before speaking again.  
\- _That's why you're here, right? Since when does it last?_  
I remain silent, not daring to reveal to her this painful secret…  
\- _Since when does it last, Owen?_  
She repeats the question but in an affirmed tone and at the limit of the moan.  
I perceived a silhouette moving in my field of vision, before recognizing a voice closer suddenly… Richard's voice.  
\- _Don't blame Owen… it was my idea no to tell you everything…_  
\- _So that's it, it's not the first letter…_  
\- _No, it's not the first letter…_  
\- _How much Richard? How long?_  
Richard hesitates before his protégé, still reluctant to reveal the whole truth to her, then he finally gives in under the weight of her eyes.  
\- _For four months…_  
\- _Did you hide it for four months? It's been four months since the letters of this kind arrive? But what were you waiting for?_ Exclaims Amelia suddenly getting up.  
\- _I didn't want to annoy you, Amelia, you have so many beautiful and big projects in progress…_  
\- _You didn't have the right to hide that… I thought I could trust you… that you were the only one who would not disappoint me… not like…_  
Her voice goes out before she finishes her sentence.  
Richard tries to take Amelia's hand but she refuses him this gesture with a reverse of her arm and walks to the table where the much-vaunted package is.  
\- _Amelia, you should not…_  
She glances back to that lunatic threat and turns to me.  
\- _Do you think he is serious? Am I risking my life?_  
\- _I think he is serious…_  
\- _And my second question, Owen?_  
I don't dare to confirm her fears, convinced that it was useless to make them more concrete with a few words.  
\- _Amelia, you shouldn't do the show… after that, you're not in a position to face a live._  
Andrew had just spoken after being content to attend this exchange and his intervention was surprising.  
Amelia seems to consider his proposition as she looks at him, eyes a bit lost.  
\- _Amelia, maybe that…_  
\- _Richard, I don't want to hear you… please… leave me… go back to production…_  
Richard throws a look full of regret to Amelia but she carefully avoids his eyes.  
He lowers his shoulders as if to express his defeat and then leaves the room without a last attempt from Amelia.  
I had trouble for Richard right now… I knew that the truth would be hard to make Amelia hear but the completely unexpected way that led to the revelation made things even more painful for both parts involved.

\- _Amelia, do you want me to bring you back?_  
Andrew stood with Amelia, a hand resting on her shoulder, whispering those words.  
Amelia had a lost look: she seemed completely helpless.  
\- _I can take care of talking to the people responsible for the show, they will understand…_  
\- _Andrew, I think it's up to Amelia to decide._  
\- T _here is nothing to decide! Did you see the letter?_  
\- _Yes, I saw the letter as you_ , I answer him as calmly as possible.  
- _So Amelia, come with me!_ He speaks again a little harder while grabbing the singer's arm.  
\- _Andrew, stop! Leave me a few minutes, okay?_  
Her guitarist looks at her with big eyes, obviously surprised by the answer he had just received.  
\- _Amelia, do not listen to them…_  
\- _Andrew, please_ , she whispers again.  
Andrew sighs at her side give me a defiant look and leave the room, leaving me alone with Amelia.

Her eyes are lowered again on the contents of the package.  
She stays motionless for a few moments.  
I don't break that moment leaving her alone with her thoughts and questions.  
Then she picks up the fallen cover and closes the damn package.  
I see her perform long and deep breaths several times, eyes closed and then turn to me again.  
\- _What would you do in my place?_ She asks me suddenly.  
\- _I'm not in your place._  
She laughs nervously while watching me.  
\- _When will you clearly answer questions?_  
She smiles shyly but only a few seconds, a mask quickly resumed on her face.  
\- _Don't be mad to Richard, he thought of doing well… he did it for your good…_  
- _I know… it will take a little while to accept what happened… but I know that it started from a good intention on his part… did you see the other letters?_  
\- _Yes… but it's not the most important tonight…_  
She stepped back into the room and ended up sitting down on the chair she had left a few minutes earlier.  
\- _And what is most important then?_  
\- _Your show… you came here to sing and you have to stay focused on it._  
\- _Owen… I don't know…_  
I take the two steps necessary to find myself at her side and crouch in front of her.  
\- _If you don't go, he will have won… this lunatic is trying to destabilize you, to weaken you… if you are not going to sing, you will only show him that he has won… and between us, we don't want him to win, right?_  
Her big eyes watch me while I'm only inching away from her face, squatting in front of her.  
\- _Do you think he's here… in the audience?_  
I think about her question a few moments before giving her my opinion.  
\- _I don't think that… in general, we don't receive these kinds of threats before they act, to surprise them, and create context more conducive to recklessness… so no, I don't think he's here or he's trying something tonight._  
She lowers her eyes, watching her hands resting on her thighs and after a few seconds, I hear a faint sound or almost trembling echoing in the room.  
\- _I'm scared…_  
Her hands are trembling slightly in front of me, of her misery and anguish: this crazy had succeeded if he managed to destabilize her thus and I had to do everything to prevent him from succeeding.  
I spontaneously place a hand against one of her, a gesture that raises her head to find my eyes.  
\- _I am here to protect you… you don't have to be afraid…_  
Her two blue eyes scrutinize me, looking for the slightest trace of doubt in my eyes.  
\- _You have nothing to fear…_  
Her hand crunches slightly to tighten mine a little harder.  
Then after a few seconds, her second-hand covers the back of mine, as if to imprison my contact against her as a slight smile ends up on her lips.  
\- _I have nothing to fear because you are here_ , she repeats as if to convince herself.  
I smile back while getting up and bringing her back with me.

We stay in our eyes, hands clasped as if she wanted to find the strength she needed in me.  
\- _Amelia, it's yours in five minutes, what are we doing?_  
The opening of the door, associated with Andrew's voice, brings us back to the present and our hands leave each other instantly… but Andrew still looks at us with surprise…  
\- _We're going_ , answers Amelia with a confident voice.  
She turns a few moments in the mirror in the room to check her appearance, then faces us again.  
\- _The show must go on_ , she said before walking towards the exit of the dressing room.  
Andrew looks at her with big eyes but doesn't reply, not trying to make her change her mind.  
Amelia goes behind the backstage towards the set and I am on her side, one hand in the back, to guide her.  
The hundreds of meters separating us from the stage are done in silence, Amelia concentrated and Andrew silent behind us.

The brouhaha of the set is more accurate to our ears and arrived at the edge of the back of the stage, an assistant welcomes us.  
\- _Miss Shepherd, you have a tripod microphone as you requested. Your guitarist is set up off the field of vision when the host starts your announcement, okay? It's up to you in two minutes!_  
Amelia smiles at the assistant and nods, while the man looks at me strangely.  
- _It is my bodyguard, he stays here…_  
\- _Okay, fine,_ answers the assistant redirecting his attention to the program.  
After only thirty seconds, he makes a sign to Andrew who hastens to join the set to put on his guitar and settle on the stool that was prepared for him.  
Amelia, on my left, is breathing deeply and coming very lightly in front of me… waiting for the signal.  
We follow the announcement of the host and the count of the entry of Amelia is listing by the assistant right in front of us…  
I concentrate, ready to monitor all the details of Amelia's performance and the least suspicious activity.  
She remains impassive, from behind, facing me, her gaze fixed on the stage.

But a sensation suddenly surprises me.  
An arm extending towards me.  
A skin that brushes past on mine.  
Then fingers looking for me.  
And a hand that finds me.  
As a silent request that I reassure her one last time.  
I squeeze her little hand slightly back.  
And I repeat three words she expects.  
Three words whispered in her ear.

Her hand leaves me and she finds the light and the scene… admirably forgetting her fears during the four minutes that follow.  
Demonstrating that whatever happens, this madman will not win and will not deprive her of her passion.


End file.
